The silent rise of Indian airlines in overseas routes
As Indians increasingly opt for international holidays, especially after covid, the country’s airlines are following their flight trajectories. This has led to a sharp rise in the share of domestic airlines carrying passengers to global destinations from India, with growth rates to match albeit on a lower base. Experts say this trend is here to stay even as airlines focus on adding capacity to international routes to cater to rising demand.
As per data from DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), foreign carriers accounted for 56% share of the 54.4 million international passenger traffic to and from India in FY23, and Indian carriers held 44% share. Comparatively, in FY20 (pre-pandemic), their respective shares were 62.4% and 37.6%. In the current fiscal (April-January), domestic carriers have so far garnered 44.3% share of international traffic from India.
Among individual airlines, Tata Group-backed Air India and Air India Express hold a cumulative share of 19.9%, the highest in international air traffic to from India. This is followed by IndiGo at 15.7% share and Vistara with 2.4%. Emirates is the biggest foreign airline flying passengers to and from India with a share of around 10%.
"We continue to see immense potential for further growth as Indian carriers take centre stage for international travel," an IndiGo spokesperson said. “We are aiming to double in size by the end of 2030, thus, transforming IndiGo from being a domestic-focused carrier." IndiGo, India’s largest carrier, has increased its international seat capacity by 47% year-on-year (y-o-y) in the October-December quarter. The airline, which currently serves 87 domestic and 33 international destinations, has seen 27% growth y-o-y in scheduled
. Read more on livemint.com
